FIVE GREAT LESSONS
The Important Things Life Teaches You.....
# 1 - Most Important Question
One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was
# 3 - Always remember those who serve
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less,
In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway.
# 5 - Giving Blood
During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz.
I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions,
until I read the last one:
"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"
Surely this was some kind of joke.
I had seen the cleaning woman several times.
She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50's but how would I know her name?
I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank.
Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
"Absolutely," said the professor.
"In your careers you will meet many people.
All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if
all you do is smile and say 'hello'.
I've never forgotten that lesson.
I also learned her name was Dorothy.
#2 - Pickup in the Rain
standing on the side of an Alabama highway
trying to endure a lashing rain storm.
Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.
Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.
A young white man stopped to help her -
generally unheard of in those conflict filled 1960's.
The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance
and put her into a taxi cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry!
She wrote down his address, thanked him and drove away.
Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door.
To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home.
A special note was attached.
It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway
the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes but my spirits.
Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying
husband's bedside just before he passed away.
God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."
Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole
a 10 year old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table.
A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
"How much is an ice cream sundae?
"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket
and studied a number of coins in it.
"How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he inquired.
Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit
impatient.
"Thirty-five cents," she said brusquely.
The little boy again counted the coins.
"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream put the bill on the table and walked away.
The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed.
When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then
swallowed hard at what she saw.
There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies - her tip.
# 4 - The Obstacle in Our Path
Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.
Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and
simply walked around it.
Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear,
but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant laid down his burden
and tried to move the stone to the side of the road.
After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.
As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse
lying in the road where the boulder had been.
The purse contained many gold coins
and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for
the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.
The peasant learned what many others never understand.
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital,
I got to know a little girl named Liz
who was suffering from a rare and serious disease.
Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion
from her 5 year old brother,
who had miraculously survived the same disease
and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.
The doctor explained the situation to her little brother,
and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.
I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath
and saying "Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liz."
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister
and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks.
Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.
He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice,
"Will I start to die right away?"
Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor;
he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood.
Attitude, after all , is everything.
"but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
Isaiah 40:31
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will
run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
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